A Heartbeat from Disaster
by AlexObsidian
Summary: Alex is a 16 year old sophomore who deals with bullying on a regular basis. Random story I've made up. Not based on any one person in particular. Trigger warning: Self harm, eating disorder, suicidal tendencies, self hate, depression. The main character is gay so if that bothers you, DON'T READ IT! (sorry if it's in the wrong category! Didn't know where to put it)
1. Chapter 1

Please don't be too mean! I just wanted to write about something and I figured I might as well share it with the ever kind people of the internet. Feel free to leave some feedback! Again, first story. First anything. I just thought it'd be fun to give it a try.

As I walk into the first day of sophomore year, I'm almost shaking with nerves. Freshman year wasn't the greatest and I'm not expecting much from this year either. My classes are full of people who either hate me for no reason or don't know me but hate me all the same. Whatever. I'm just going to sit in the back and ignore everything. Before I even sit down, the teacher comes in and starts going over the same generic spiel about the same shit as every other teacher does. Is there any getting away from it? Probably not.

I pull out my notebook and begin writing about whatever comes to mind.

_Well, here we are again. I'm still trying to figure out why I don't ask mom and dad if I can transfer schools so I can get away from this shitty place. Maybe I'd actually make some friends that don't just want me to do their homework. Or I could find a class I actually want to take instead of being told I have to take the ridiculous classes I'm in now. I don't even care about any of them. I'm just here because I'm forced to. If I had it my way, I'd be roaming the country by myself. _

I look out the window and think about what I just wrote. I really do want to go around the world. Travelling is all I've ever wanted to do. But I'm stuck here till I turn 18. After that, I'm leaving. I've been saving as much as I can for it since I decided when I was 8 that it was what I'm going to do. As of today, between birthday money and the extra cash I make from doing jobs around the neighborhood, I have about $1,000 saved so far. I'm hoping to get a job so I can get more money.

I turn back to my notebook and start drawing. I'm not sure what exactly it is I'm drawing but I let my hand go. It's better than paying attention to all the shit about papers we'll be doing and group projects we'll be working on. Heh, yeah right. I'm not working with any of these people. Especially if we have to work on it outside of class. No way I'm risking my life for a grade.

Luckily, classes usually go by quickly when you sleep or take your mind off the boredom. It felt like an hour went by when it was time for lunch. Surprised, I looked up at the clock and saw I'd been drawing the same thing for almost 3 hours. I get up and walk quickly past everyone heading toward the cafeteria. I push the heavy doors open and start walking faster so I lessen the risk of anyone seeing me go to my secret spot. I want to spend the hour for lunch there so I can finally be alone for a little while. If anyone saw where I'm going, they'd surely follow me. Then another hiding spot would be taken over by tons of people.

I made it and I don't think anyone saw me. Good. I always love coming here. I've had this spot for about 3 months and so far, no one else knows about it. I found it last year after my previous spot had been discovered and there were now tons of people in it. I like my new one though. It's a lot better. It's down by the edge of the school grounds. About a 2 minute fast paced walk, down a steep incline. If you aren't prepared, you'll fall flat on your face but I just consider that extra security as well as an alarm system. What better way to stop people from sneaking up on you than to listen for the sound of someone falling?

I climb up a tree so I can have a bit of a view. There's a small pond nearby, just off the school grounds. I like watching the little birds play in the water. It's pretty peaceful and makes for a relaxing break from all the monotonous scurrying of people all day long. I pull out my notebook and start writing about whatever comes to mind. I probably should do the homework assignment so I don't have to worry about it tonight but right now, I just want to hang out. I look down at the pond and sigh, leaning against the tree. "I wish everything could be this peaceful. Maybe then I'd actually want to go do stuff outside instead of just sitting in my room." I mumble to myself, opening up to the page I had been drawing on.

I sat there for the whole hour and let my mind wander. When I heard the 10 minute warning for class, I put my notebook back in my bag and made my way down from the tree. I turned and looked at the pond one last time for the day then started heading back to the school. When I walked up to the doors, I heard a group of people laughing behind me. I felt a chill run down my spine. The day had actually been going quite good until now. I almost thought this year would be different from all the rest. I guess I was mistaken.

I opened the door and walked in, making my way toward the classrooms so I could at least have a little protection from the teachers and their everlasting vigilance for bullying or lewd behavior. Unfortunately, there aren't many people in the hall yet. And none of the few are teachers. Mostly, they're freshmen trying to be early to their classes so they can get good seats and look like good little pupils. This doesn't help my situation, though. Suddenly, I feel someone grab my arm and pull me backward. I thought I was going to slam against a locker but instead, I found the floor.

"Oh, no! You okay, little fag boy?" Adam mused, laughing with his posse of giggly, strung out 'bros'.

"Thanks for the concern, but I think I can manage just fine on my own." I usually try a calm approach that doesn't end in me being shoved around. It doesn't ever work, but I keep hoping one day it will. "I guess you guys can just go back to the stoner corner and pop some more pills."

"Ouch, that wasn't very nice!" Jordan said, holding his chest as though I had actually offended him in some way. I felt a subtle fear start to rise in me when I realized they had slowly moved around me in a way that allowed no escape.

"Are you guys really going to start the year out like this? Can't you at least give me the day?" I only earned a few chuckles as Adam kicked the arm holding me up. I feel my heart jump as I hit the floor with a thud. They laugh and Davis, another of the group, picks me up by my shirt and throws me against the lockers. I wince in pain and they watch as I hold the lockers to keep balanced. I hadn't eaten anything for a few days and this was making me more light headed than I already was.

Thankfully, I heard a door open and a teacher shouted. "What do you guys think you're doing?" When no one answered, she asked in an annoyed tone, "Heeeellllloooo? Can someone tell me what's going on here? Why are all of you standing about?" She walked toward us and the group started smiling and being as polite as their brains would let them.

"Oh, it's nothing, Mrs. Sylvette. We were just talking and comparing schedules." Adam replied, smiling with that well rehearsed smile that made him seem a bit too innocent.

"Yes, well, you're not fooling anyone, Adam. I want you all to go to your classes right now. If I see you out here again, I'll send you to the office for further discipline. Do I make myself clear?" Mrs. Sylvette scolded. Adam nodded, still smiling. "Yes, of course! We'll be sure to keep that in mind." Adam turned to walk away but before he did, he made sure to pull my bag off my shoulder so it spilled everywhere. I'm not too sure why it was unzipped but everything in my bag went all over the floor. They walked away laughing and waving at Mrs. Sylvette.

I slowly bent down to pick up my papers. Luckily there aren't many papers to begin with, considering it's the first day of school and I've only had two classes. As I'm picking up my things, I notice my notebook is gone. I check my bag but it's not there. I start panicking. "Where did it go?" I whisper to myself. I check the pile of paper but it's not there. I check smaller pocket of my bag but nothing. "I don't understand! I put it away, didn't I? Maybe I left it…" Then it clicks. "No…" One of them must've taken it when I wasn't looking.

I look up to see if maybe they're still nearby. They're long gone by now. Since we've been in a lot of the same classes, they know I always carry around my notebook. It's more than just a notebook to me, though. It has all of my drawings, songs that I've wrote, lyrics from songs of my favorite bands that, when taken out of context, sound very violent and almost threatening. That particular notebook has my experience of coming out to my parents as gay, something no one in this school knows. Or at least they weren't supposed to know. I'm sure they'll do something to embarrass me with the information written in that journal.

I stand up and turn toward the doors to leave. I can't handle any more of this day, so I'm going to go hang out in the park till it's an okay time for me to go home.

"And where do you think you're going? Don't you have classes to attend as well, Alex?" Mrs. Sylvette asks in a slightly less harsh voice than she used with Adam.

"I have to cut across the quad to get to it. I'll never make it in time if I go the long way." I lie as I start to turn toward the doors. "The quad doors are still open, aren't they? Class technically hasn't started yet." She nodded and turned back toward her classroom.

"Try not to cause too much trouble this year, young man. I won't always be right here to get you out of those situations you put yourself in." She walks back into her room and closes the door. I walk out of the doors quickly, feeling the welling of tears in my eyes. Why did I always get blamed for this? Why couldn't someone do something so I didn't have to get beat up every day? I sigh and walk through the quad, turning away from the doors and out toward the gates of the school. When I get through them, I feel the tears run down my cheek. "Shit!" I whisper harshly. "Now everyone will know. They'll have a whole new list of things to call me and more people will join in with the names…" I walk through the park and into the woods that surround it. I have a few hiding spots all over town and even in the nearby city. I make sure I always have somewhere to go. I even have a bit of money stashed away in some of them in case I ever need to get really far away. I buried it in small locked boxes in the ground or in a wall so now one would find them unless they were actually looking for them. I even had one in a small hole in a tree near the top.

I sit down at one of the park benches and pull out my phone. I plug in my headphones and turn on my music. I play a few games while waiting for time to pass. I just want to go home so this day can be over. While I'm playing a game, I feel my shoulder starting to throb where I was slammed against the floor and lockers. I pull the shoulder of my shirt down and see a huge bruise starting to form all over my upper arm. I sigh, readjusting my shirt and standing up. "I don't care if I get in trouble anymore. I just want to go home. I slowly make my way to my house. It's only a 15 minute walk so I don't want to run, especially if my parents are home. They hate it when I skip class. Thankfully, no one's home so I can slip inside. I go up to my room and lay down on my bed. I pull out my laptop and turn it on. Maybe checking facebook will bring some good news.

I log on and see I have a lot more notifications than I usually have. I click on them and it takes me to the school page. I read the posts and am horrified as to what they're about.

"_Oh my god! I knew he was a freak!"_

"_That's just nasty! Why would anyone write about stuff like that?" _

"_He's the disgusting, quiet one, isn't he? I always knew there was something off about him but this?! Wow! No wonder he has no friends!"_

I felt my heart skipping beats as I watched the comments get worse.

"_This fucking freak should just kill himself! Seriously! I hope he reads this! Hey, you! Do the world a favor and cut your throat! Everyone would be a lot happier!" _

"_I'm going to punch this faggot in the face when I get the chance! What a goddamned freak!" _

I feel my breathing getting erratic as I read all of the comments. "No…" I gasp when I get to a comment posted by Jordan. When I click it, a new tab pops open and the link is to something that should never have been posted.

They scanned and posted every page of my notebook.

So there you have it! The first chapter of the story! Again, please leave feedback! It'd mean a lot! I'm going to make it gradually pick up over time. I didn't want to start out with too much excitement. Saving that for the good bits!

Danke schön!


	2. Chapter 2

Welcome back! I'm glad you enjoyed the first chapter enough to come back and read the next one! This is one of the triggering chapters! (Cutting and Eating Disorder) (^w^) **ENJOY**(^w^)

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><p>I quickly close the tab and run to the bathroom. I can't find my breath as I grab the edge of the sink. I turn on the water and let it run, hoping it'll calm down my stomach. If I had eaten anything, I would've thrown it all up at this moment. My nerves are making my stomach so upset. I can't believe this is happening.<p>

"I can't go back to that school. If I do, I'll be destroyed…" I walk over and close the bathroom door. Turning, I lean against it and slide down to the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. I stare at the cabinets and remember what I've had hidden in them for a long time. I always check on it, just to make sure it's not rusted or missing. I want it there, just in case I need a way out or a brief escape. I haven't done it in years. Not since mom caught me and had me sent to therapy a few times. They never actively did anything about it. Just tears, anger, blame games and guilt. So much guilt. But what could it hurt? I was smarter now. I knew not to do it on the wrist or arms. It was too obvious if I started wearing long sleeves all the sudden. I need to keep it a secret better this time.

I stand up after contemplating for a few minutes. I've come to the conclusion that no one would really care if I had hidden scars on my legs. As long as no one has to see them, it won't matter. Out of sight, out of mind right? I open the drawer and pull the old box out. I open it up and sitting in it is my old friend. Still shiny, since i had only used it once before I was caught. I pick it up and look at it. I'm already starting to feel more relaxed. Even though my heart is racing with anticipation and nerves, I feel my mind slowing and calming down. I unbuckle and lower my pants just enough to have access to my thigh. It's quite pale, much like the rest of me. Free of any scars or marks, I wonder if it'll be okay. If I do this, I'll never be able to walk around in just my underwear again. Thinking about it, I hadn't done that in a while anyways. I'd lost so much weight from not eating that I couldn't show off my body at all. I was nearly skeletal, able to see most of my ribs and spine. My hip bones protrude from me like two mountains with a valley between them. Still, I don't think I'm that skinny. I still have fat. I need to get rid of it… Gradually, I refocus on my blade.

"No one ever looks on the thigh…" I reminded myself as I lowered the blade. When it made contact with my skin, I felt a shiver rush over me. I press lightly and drag it slowly over my skin. Feeling the sting, I smile. I look at it and see very little blood, almost as though it barely made any mark at all. I reposition and press a bit harder, pulling quickly. I see my skin separate and blood starts bubbling up from the thin, red line. I smile and repeat the action a few more times till I have ten or so wounds on my leg. I open the cupboard and pull out a black towel. Since it's my personal bathroom, I can have whatever kind of decor and towels I want. I, of course, went for black. It hides any blood stains that it may clean up. It also doesn't stain from hair dyeing. I used to color my hair so many different colors before. It was my favorite thing to do on a Saturday night. Criminal Minds and a box of hair color. What could be better? I hold the towel and press on my leg to stop the bleeding. I feel the rush hit me soon after.

I pull the towel off my leg and see the little cuts stopped bleeding. I toss the towel to the side and pull back up my pants. They're black as well, so no blood will show through. I walk out to my bedroom and see my computer still open. I walk over and sit on my bed, bracing myself for what I might see. They're still commenting on it. I don't bother to read what they're saying. Right now, it doesn't matter at all. I feel light as a feather and nothing will ruin that. I lay back on my pillow and close my eyes, letting the euphoric sting take over.

I must've been asleep for a long time because dad came up to tell me dinner is ready. I have to come up with an excuse to get out of it. I can't handle having to eat a meal. I was already feeling like shit after waking up from my nap. The sting was no longer euphoric and my pants were sticking to my cuts because of the drying blood. I tried adjusting them but it hurt so bad to try to pull them off that I couldn't do it. I heard dad call up from the bottom of the stairs, "Alex, lets go! You're not missing another meal! You have two minutes until I come up there and force you down!" I sigh, standing up. Hopefully it's nothing big or heavy. There's usually a bit of variety so everyone can have something. Mom is a vegetarian right now so I don't have to worry much about a lot of meat. I groan walking down the stairs, feeling my head spin. I sit down at the table and look around at what we're having. I feel the tension building up in my chest again.

"I found this new pasta recipe that uses all vegetarian or vegan ingredients! Your father said it sounded good so we gave it a try! Here, let me get you a plate!" Mom said as she picked up my place setting and started piling on pasta.

"Woah! Mom! That's way too much! I'll never eat all of that!" I exclaimed, knowing there was an undertone of fear in my voice.

"You'll eat at least a plate of dinner tonight. You're getting awfully skinny, I don't think you're getting the right nutrition." She smiled and put the plate down in front of me. I stare at it in disbelief. There must be at least 4 servings of pasta on this plate and she expects me to eat it all?

I pick up my fork and take a bite. I'm taken back by how good it actually is. "So? What do you think?" I nod and force a smile at her, "It's really good. Still don't think I'll be able to eat the whole plate but it's really yummy!" I take another bite, making sure it's bigger. She smiles and sits down as dad walks in. He fills his plate up and tucks in.

After I finish most of my plate, I feel my stomach. All I feel is a huge bump that I know is going to turn into fat. Then I hear the voice I hadn't heard in a long time, "_You're getting fat again! You were doing perfectly! Why did you have to fuck it all up?! You ridiculous failure!" _My chest tightens and I look at mom.

"Can I be done? I have a homework assignment I need to do and I'm already really full." I lift my plate to show her that I had eaten most of it. She nods and waves, "Thank you!" I jump up from the table, carrying my plate out the kitchen. When I finish washing it, I walk as calmly as I can up to my room. Closing the door behind me, I silently freak out. "_I can't believe you would fuck up so badly! Why couldn't you just say you had a short paper due tomorrow and you had to write it before you moved on to another worksheet or something?! Why didn't you just lie to get out of it?! You were on your way to actually becoming something worthwhile and you just threw it all away! You're going to be fat by morning. I swear, you'll be fatter than you were before!" _ I walk over to my bed and open my laptop again. Signing on, I see more notifications. Clicking it, I see that people have made mocking doodles of me as well as continuing to post how they hope I die. I walk over to the bathroom and close the door, locking it behind me.

Continuing from where I was earlier, I get undressed except for my underwear. I stand in front of the full body mirror I have tucked beside the vanity. I look myself up and down, scrutinizing every single detail. Every imperfection, every lump, bump and bit of fat I have covering my body. I want to get it out of my body so much… Every calorie, every carb, every bit of food. If mom and dad heard me throwing up, they'd come up and investigate. I couldn't get it out. I just have to deal with it until the pain goes away. There's only one thing I can do to ease the pain of this.. Just as I go to grab my razor, I hear mom calling for me. I quickly put on a pair of sweatpants and loose fitting tee shirt and run out the door so I don't cause suspicion. I open the bedroom door and she hands me a basket of clothes.

"Make sure you fold these before they get wrinkly! You wouldn't want to go to school with messy clothing, would you?" She turns away, walking back down the stairs. I close the door and return to the bathroom. I decide that can't do anything while my parents are home. If they walk in on something, I'd be sent straight to the psych ward for a permanent residency.

I hang the clothes and put the basket outside my door. Going over to my bed, I crawl under the covers and hide under them. I didn't want tomorrow to come. I know that when I get to school, all Hell is going to break loose. I guess I'll have to find a way out of it some how. As I try coming up with a plan, I feel my eyelids starting to become heavy. I let sleep over come me. It's the only form of escape that actually takes me far, far away from this place.

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><p>I hope you enjoyed it! I'll be posting more very soon! Thanks for reading!<p> 


	3. Chapter 3

Welcome back! This chapter is going to have a bit of drama! I'm not going to tell you TW. From now on, assume there's a trigger warning. It's implied:)

(^w^)**ENJOY**(^w^)

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><p>I wake up to the sound of my alarm blaring. I check which alarm it is; 7:00 am. I roll over and try going back to sleep. I hear the door open and my dad shouts, "Alex! It's time to get up and get ready for school!" I groan and manage to somehow push the blanket off myself. I hear the door close and I slowly start sitting up. I stand and walk over to the wardrobe where I have all my clothes hanging. "What to wear on my second say back to Hell…" I realized last night there was no way for me to get out of going to school. I'll just have to make sure I'm never alone in the hall, that a teacher is always around, and I can't go to the bathroom.<p>

I get ready and walk down stairs to hug mom and dad goodbye. They shout loving things behind me as I walk out the door. I've decided to take the long way to school today. I cut through the cemetery to the woods where there's a path that takes you in the general direction of the high school. It take about 45 minutes to make it there. I figure that'll make me late enough so that I won't get caught alone by anyone.

It's only 20 minutes in yet I can't help but feel a little off. I look around and nothing seems out of the ordinary. I continue walking for another 20 with one headphone out so I can listen. I hear a loud crack, then feel the blood drain from my face. I turn around and see Adam, Jordan, Davis and another guy they hang out with. I think his name is Michael or something like that. He just transferred in last year. He became quick friends with Davis and ever since has joined in on the name calling whenever he's with them.

That wasn't important right now, though. I'm alone in the woods with four guys who have a history of beating me. I'm only a 3 minute run if I run as fast as I can. They're almost 15 yards behind me. I guess it's worth a shot. I turn and start sprinting as fast as I can. I hear them running behind me, sounding like a herd of angry beasts charging after something. I can just see the clearing to the field, and just beyond that is the school. If I can make it there, they can't do as much without getting caught. I'm almost through the field to the school when I get tackled by Davis. I hit the ground hard and feel the air leave my lungs. I stay on the ground, trying to catch my breath. I hear them all around me. Then I hear Adam's voice cut through the fog of my imminent black out.

"Hey faggy boy! I always knew you were a fucking freak, but I never knew you were that fucked in the head! Who would've guess our school queer would be such a psyco!" He shouted at me as I tried getting up. I felt my head going blank and my vision was starting to go. I tried responding with something but it only came out as a jumbled mess of babbling. "What did you say? Couldn't quite hear ya! Maybe you need a little help waking up this early in the morning?" He grabbed me by my arm to lift me up then with his free hand, he punched me a few times in the face. I couldn't really feel it though. I was so close to just passing out but I knew if I did I might not wake up.

Adam dropped me and kicked me in the back. Letting out a small scream of pain, I hear them all laughing as Michael and Jordan pick me up. Davis started punching me in the head, gradually hitting harder each time. Time felt like it was crawling. After what felt like hours, they dropped me to the ground in what felt like a puddle. I couldn't open my eyes. I wanted to but I couldn't focus enough to make it happen. I feel myself getting kicked in the stomach a few times before I start coughing. It felt like I was throwing up but it tasted metallic.

"Come on, lets go before someone sees us." Jordan says with a laugh. As they're walking away I hear them laughing and highfiving each other. Slowly, the everything is becoming more and more silent. I feel like I'm going to pass out again. Maybe this time I'd stay out for a really long time.

"_Hey! Are you okay?!" _I barely hear someone running toward me. I try getting up but my body feels so heavy. There's no way I can take another beating. Once they realize who I am, the freak who owned that notebook, they'll surely leave me here to be found by some old person walking their dog.

"_Hold on, I'm calling for help! You gotta stay awake, though! Can you do that? Hey!"_ I manage to open one eye a little bit but all I see is red. "_I'm in the field out back of Mettisonville High School. There's someone here, I think they got jumped! Send an ambulance quickly!" _I listened to him shouting on his cell phone. When he hung up, he looked at me and saw I now had both eyes open slightly. "_There you are. Help is on the way, okay? Hold on till they get here."_ I tried saying something but all that came out was more blood. I closed my eyes and let the desperate tiredness take over. All I hoped for was that I didn't have to wake up.

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><p>There ya go! I'll leave you with a cliffhanger:D<p>

Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

OoOoOooo! What happens this chapter?! I hope you enjoy!

(^w^)**ENJOY**(^w^)

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><p>I hear a beeping sound cutting through the massive grinding of pain in my head. I slowly open my eyes and find that I'm in a sterile white hospital room. It's dark outside so I guess I've been missing all day. Mom and dad probably got a call and are furious with me for missing class. I try sitting up but find that it's too painful to move at all. I open my mouth to speak but nothing understandable comes out. I glance toward the side and notice someone sitting in the chair looking like they fell asleep. I try making another noise but nothing. I close my eyes, trying to remember what happened. Oh yeah, <em>they<em> happened.

I hear the door open and a nurse walks in. "It's good to see you're finally awake. Take it easy, okay? We're working on getting you back on your feet." She smiled nicely and moved the hair out of my face. After she checked my stats, she turned back to me. "We've contacted your parents and they should be here very soon. It took us a while but when you were barely awake for a few minutes yesterday, you told us your last name. It's good that we have you in our system." She smiled again. Walking over to the other side of the bed, she put her hand on the strangers shoulder. He jumped up and looked at her then at me.

"Oh, thank god, you're awake!" He exclaimed. "You had me worried. You didn't stay awake and I wasn't sure how badly you were hurt." He explained, standing up and looking at me.

"Who… are.. you…?" I managed to get out before choking. My throat is so dry, it's hard to say anything.

He walked over to the side table and poured a glass of water. Putting a straw in it, he held it close to me so I could drink while he talked. "My name's Dakota. I just transferred into Mettisonville yesterday. Although, I missed my first day so I guess I started today." He corrected with a bit of embarrassment. He seemed like a nice person. Maybe he'd actually stay nice. Doubtful but a boy can dream, can't he?

"You're the one who found me, aren't you? I recognize your voice." Also, why else would he be in my room if he wasn't? "How did you find me?"

"I was about to walk into the building when I heard a loud group of guys walking by. They were talking about how they hoped someone 'didn't get up again' and I got concerned. So I went in the direction they came from and saw you collapsed in a lot of blood. I can only imagine what those big guys did to a little guy like you." He said with a laugh. I looked down toward my feet and bit my lip. Why is he being so nice to me? He couldn't have just called a teacher and left? What did he want from me?

Suddenly, I heard my mother come running in and cry. "_Oh, my baby! Who did this to you?! I want names, now! I'm going to have them suspended and I'm pressing charges!"_ I listened to her go on and on. My father is talking to the nurse, trying to find out what happened and how they can go about taking legal action.

Mom turned her attention from me to Dakota. "Thank you so much for finding him! I don't know what would've happened if you hadn't! Thank you, thank you so much!" She hugged him and he smiled, patting her on the back in a loose hug. "It was nothing. I'd hope someone would do the same for me so it's really no big deal."

"Nonsense! Please, at least let us make you dinner some night to show you our thanks!" She insisted. He looked at me then at her and nodded with a smile. "Sure! Sounds like a great idea! Whenever you'd be willing to have me!" He said in a cheery voice.

"For now though, lets let Alex rest. I can get your number from you and we'll have Alex contact you sometime tomorrow when he gets home. You two can make plans. How does that sound?" Dad chimed in, seeing that I was starting to drift off asleep again.

"Sure, I'll leave my number on a note for him. I should probably be getting back home. My dad is probably worried about me. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?" he said waving to me. I smiled slightly before blacking out.

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><p>Yup yup! That's that! Who is this mysterious boy, Dakota? Read the next chapter to find out~~<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

This chapter isn't the most eventful. Just our little boy falling in love. AWWWWWWWW! How cute!

(^w^)**ENJOY**(^w^)

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><p>I woke up in the hospital early the next morning. Mom and dad were filling out the paperwork to have me discharged. I sat up and turned to get my clothes on when I saw a note laying on my shoes. It was from Dakota..<p>

"_Hey! I said I'd leave you my number so here it is: _

_607-846-2077_

_Make sure you don't share it with anyone;) I'm looking forward to our little date at your place! Hope to hear from you soon! _

_~Dakota_

I blushed slightly as I finished reading the note and got dressed. Was he hitting on me? Our 'date'? I thought it was just dinner. I smiled slightly. Maybe he would turn out to be a really nice guy after all. Maybe I'll finally have a friend.

I put the note in my pocket and pulled on my shirt. I turned, grabbing my bag and walking out the door to stand with my parents while all the paperwork was finalized. As we were in the elevator, mom and dad talked about what they were planning on doing when the lawyer called them back. All I could think about was seeing Dakota. I was so excited to text him. To have someone besides my parents to text. Someone I could talk to about things. Someone I could maybe hang out with and go shopping with. Play video games with. Go to the city, sit in a cafe and talk about our dreams. Hell, someone to meet up with at school rather than wandering the halls alone hoping no one decides to beat me.

The car ride home was quick, my mind floating away on thoughts of Dakota. Wait… Am I getting a crush on him? Already? I barely know him. What if he turns out to be an asshole? What if he becomes friends with someone else and they show him my notebook? He'd probably never want to talk to me again. I sigh, closing my eyes. As we pull into the driveway, I jump out of the car and walk into the house, up to my room. Closing the door behind me, I pull out my phone and the note. I enter his number and type a quick message.

Me: Hey, Dakota. It's me, Alex.

I send the text, hoping maybe he won't text back for a little while. To my surprise, he texts back almost instantly.

Dakota: Hey, Alex! You home from the hospital yet?

Me:Yeah. We just got back. My parents kept reminding me the whole ride home that I needed to text you. You really made an impact on themXD

Dakota: Did I really? That's good! It means they'll let us hang out a lot!

Me: Yeah. So what days do you have available? They want you to come over as soon as possible!

Dakota: How about tonight? I don't have much homework so I can stay a bit later. Would that work?

Me: They said that's fine.

Dakota: So I guess I'll see you tonight! Around 5:30 sound good?

Me: Yeah, that sounds perfect!

Dakota: See you then;P

Me: Okay;* haha! Bye!

I put my phone down on my side table and smile. So this is what it's like to have a friend? So far, it's turning out a lot better than I thought it would. There was only one obstacle so far…

How am I supposed to get out of eating a lot for dinner?

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><p>Sorry for the lack of eventfulness. It'll come in due time!<p> 


	6. Chapter 6

Hey there! So again, this won't be an overly eventful chapter. Just filler really. It shows the relationship starting to develop so I guess it kinda has some importance. (^w^)**ENJOY**(^w^)

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><p>I check my phone at about 5:15. There's a text waiting from Dakota.<p>

Dakota: Hey, I'm about 2 minutes from your house. Just giving you a heads up.

Me: Okay. I'll be up front waiting for ya.

Dakota: Okay.

I run downstairs to see what's going to be for dinner so I can prepare myself. It looks like roasted chicken with vegetables and mashed potato. Okay.. It's nothing I can't handle. Chicken isn't too high in calories and I know the vegetables have stock instead of butter. Mom must've given up being a vegetarian for the night so she would look normal. She always cared about what others thought of her and her family, even if she would never admit it.

I open the front door just in time to see a 1963 Corvette Stingray pulling into the driveway. I feel my jaw drop as Dakota gets out. I look at our car, a 5 year old Nissan Altima. Nothing special, every other family on the block has one. I've never seen a Corvette like this. Bright red paint that looked like it had just been driven off the lot for the first time.

Dakota walked up, smiling and laughing at my expression. "Ya like it? It's my dads, but he lets me drive it as long as I stay out of trouble." He smiled. "I'll take you for a ride in it sometime. You walk to school, right? Maybe I'll start giving you a ride. I only live 2 blocks over."

I thought about it for a second. A ride to school and a new friend? What's the catch for all this great stuff? I smile and nod. "Yeah, that sounds great! But for now we have to face dinner! I hope you like chicken." He nodded and walked inside behind me. I showed him to the dining room and let him pick a place to sit. I sat across from him as mom and dad sat down as well.

Dinner went without a hitch! Everything went fine! I even managed to quiet my mind whenever Dakota talked. It was nice hearing a new voice that was saying nice things about me. I learned all about him. Where he was from, why he moved, his family life, his career goals. He seemed like a genuinely nice person who actually wanted to be there. He seemed to be this all knowing, all understanding being but he didn't seem to be cocky about it. He was more polite than I ever thought a teenager could be. I could tell my parents would want him over for dinner again sometime soon. They were infatuated with him by the time he left.

After he was gone, I helped pick up the table and listened as my parents went on and on about how much they enjoyed him. They kept saying how I should text him and see if maybe he could come over again soon. Once cleaning up was done, I went up stairs. I picked up my phone and opened up to texting.

Me: My parents love you. They want to adopt you as their son.

Dakota: Haha! Tell them I don't think my parents would like that!

Me: They don't care. They'll have visitation rights;)

Dakota: Okay! I'll pack my stuff and head right over! Tell them to have the papers ready!

Me: Will do!

I smiled and laid down on my pillow. It was a really good day. I was actually excited for tomorrow. Maybe it would be better than I thought it would! Especially if Dakota was there.

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><p>Blah! I didn't really enjoy typing this except that I get to move on from this for now! The next chapter might be a bit more enjoyable;) Hint hint!<p> 


	7. Chapter 7

Uh oh! What's going to happen this chapter! Hopefully it's a bit better than the previous two! (^w^)**ENJOY**(^w^)

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><p>Getting up the next morning was surprisingly easy. The idea of Dakota giving me a ride to school made the morning a lot easier. I jumped out of bed and grabbed a tee shirt and my favorite pair of jeans. Tight, black and most importantly, they made my ass look amazing. I slide them on and grab a belt. After putting my clothes on, I check the mirror to see if everything works together. When I look, I felt every drop of motivation and confidence leave my body. All I could see were bumps of fat that covered my body. Not to mention the fact that my face is still pretty bruised from the punches. I lift my shirt and see all the bruises all over my ribs and back. I grab some cover up from the mirror cabinet and put on a heavy layer. Satisfied with the coverage, I put it back in the cabinet.<p>

I turned away from the mirror and got into the drawer. Pulling out the box, I open it and pick up the razor. Looking at it, I replace the empty box in the drawer. Going out to my room, I pick up my bag and unzip a small pocket inside the largest space. I drop the blade in and zip it back up. "I think I'll be needing this with me from now on." The thought slipped through my mind. What if Dakota thinks I just look fat? Maybe I should change.

As I walk over to the wardrobe, I hear a knock on my door. My mom opens it smiling. "Sweetie, guess who's here!" She steps to the side and Dakota walks in. I feel the blood leave my face quickly. 'Oh shit! Now he's seeing what a disgusting, ugly thing I am! He's sure to run out the door!' Realizing I'm staring at him, I feel all the blood go right back to my face. I quickly turn away, pretending to finish getting ready. I hear him give a small laugh.

Mom walked out, leaving the two of us alone. "You almost ready? I figured we could get to school early so we can hang out before class. I nod, grabbing my bag and a hoodie.

"Yeah, I'm ready. We can go now." I say with a smile. I follow him down the stairs and hear my parents getting their coffee. "I'm leaving! I'll see you guys later, okay?" Mom walked out of the kitchen followed by dad, both hugging and kissing my cheek.

"Have a good day and stay safe! You shouldn't even be going to school. The only reason you are is because you insisted and the school said they'd keep an eye out for any suspicious activity. If they don't do something, let us know about it and we'll get to the bottom of it, okay?" Dad said with his 'dad-mom' voice. I give him a big hug and say sarcastically, "Yes, papa dear! I'll be very careful!" I jump back and smile at him. He shakes his head and walks back into the kitchen. "Smartass."

Dakota chuckled and watched as I ran over to put my boots on. After they were tied, I open the door. "I'll see you guys later!" I walked out followed by Dakota and saw the car. I got in and closed the door. It was an amazing, clean interior. Very simple, black leather seats with white hems. Putting the seat belt on, I noticed it smelled of leather and lightly of lavender mint. I'd never smelled anything like this before. I really liked it!

"This is going to sound weird but your car smells amazing." I mumbled the last part because I realized how insanely creepy it sounded. I glanced at him, seeing he was smiling and pulling out a container.

"I use these to keep the seats clean and conditioned. Then I spray some mint body spray on. It mixes with the lavender car freshener in the back seat. I turned around and saw there was a small purple object sitting in the backseat window. I took a deep breath, inhaling the amazing smell.

We turned down the street the school was on and I remembered what I was willingly putting myself through. They were still there. I know mom contacted the police and they were questioned but I don't think they were held after questioning and I definitely know they weren't suspended since the incident didn't occur on school property. I took a deep, shaky breath. Dakota looked over at me with a concerned look.

"Ya know, you don't have to go back today. You could wait till next week. I'm sure no one would blame you. Maybe that'd be best?" He asked, concern apparent in his voice.

"No, it's fine. I've never really felt too safe at school anyways, so this is normal nervousness for me. Besides, I'll have to face it sometime. Might as well get it over with. The sooner I get back, the sooner all the name calling ends. They'll just wait for me to come in anyways. it's not like it's something that'll diffuse." I say as calm as I can but even I could hear the shaking in my voice was apparent. I just wanted to have a nice time with Dakota. I didn't want any of this to go on.

"Okay… But if anything happens or if you find you have to be alone to get somewhere, text me and I'll come find you. I don't want you to be alone after what happened." He explains, looking at the bit of swelling I still had on my cheek. I feel a small blush then the brakes as Dakota turns into the school. Now that I'm thinking about it, why can he drive to school? Freshman and sophomores can't park on the property..

"Where are you going to park? Sophomores don't have a designated lot." I mention as he turns toward the junior lot. "What grade are you in again?"

He smirks and pulls into a parking spot. "I'm a junior this year. I already have the okay from the office to park on property. Don't worry!" He says confidently. "I didn't tell you I'm a junior at dinner last night? Huh… Oh well. Yeah, I'm a junior."

I get out of his car and grab my bag when I hear a group of girls giggling and chattering amongst themselves. I could make out bits of what they were saying. They were talking about me; calling me gay, saying I got jumped, hoping that it'd happen again only that I'd die that time, wondering who Dakota was. Oh… That's right. Dakota was new. No one really knew much about him. The fact that he was new made him interesting. The fact that he was hanging out with me made him a target for everyone else.

"Hey, uh, I just remembered I have to go see a teacher about a project they mentioned so I'll see you later, okay?" I stuttered out while preparing to run away.

"I'll walk with you." He says happily. I can't let him be seen with me. If people saw, they'd surely try to hurt him. I couldn't let that happen. It's bad enough what they do to me. What would they do to an empathizer? I didn't even want to think about it.

"No! It's fine! You can go to your class and get ready for the bombardment of questions! I'll see you after school.." I nearly shouted. I don't want to hurt his feelings but if that's what it'll take to keep him safe, that's what I'll do.

"Alex, we still have 20 minutes before they open the rooms for classes. It's fine. I have plenty of time. What's wrong, all the sudden?" He questioned, showing a bit of hurt in his eyes. I couldn't stand it.

"Nothing… I just have something I need to do. I'll text you later. Maybe I'll show you where I go during lunch. But I'll see you later." I said a bit happier. I give him a hug and walk away almost at a running pace. He seemed confused when I left him but I'll just have to make it up to him later. I get inside the doors and turn to go toward the wing very few people ever go down. I'm not sure most of people here even realize this wing exists. It's hidden behind a set of doors that can be a bit hard to open unless you actually know that you need to lift them a little then push. If you push then lift, they'll jam and you'll have a hell of a time getting in.

I open the doors and get inside them quickly, making sure I'm not seen. I hear a few girls walking down the hall, chatting with each other about who knows what. Probably how they styled their hair or where they got their outfits. Then I hear Davis talking with a few people whose voices I couldn't name.

"Yeah, the next time we see him, we're gonna make sure he doesn't go anywhere except in a bodybag. A stretcher, at the very least. That fucking queer got all of us in major trouble with the police. I almost lost my car privileges to my dads mustang! If that little fucker thinks he's going to fuck up my life, he's got another thing coming. I mean it, the next time I see him, I'm going to make him wish he was dead."

Before I could turn away, I felt the door start to move. My heart jumped into my throat as I heard the doors creaking open. How did they even know how to open the doors?! Almost no one knew! I tried getting somewhere to hide but it was too late. Davis and the 4 other guys he was with were already through the doors. I looked at them wide eyed. They glared at me and Davis instantly grabbed me by my shirt. Pulling me backward, I found myself in a chokehold. He squeezed hard enough to completely cut off my breathing. I couldn't even get a little gasp of air. I started feel extremely dizzy. He was trying to choke me out. I couldn't fight him off. He was so much bigger than me. Not to mention there were 3 other guys who were waiting to see me try something so they could all jump on the assault bandwagon.

My vision started going black and just before I went out, he let up a little bit. I took a huge breath in and tried not to pass out anyway. Everything was spinning and it didn't feel like my feet were on solid ground anymore. The next thing I knew, I was being thrown against the wall. I heard a crack and felt blood rushing down my face. I tried getting back up but I couldn't get my arms to work. I kept falling. I heard them laughing, saying I was a little bitch for crying. Crying? I didn't realize it but yeah, I guess I am crying. Shit! I can't cry in front of them. I just gave them more ammunition to shoot me with.

I laid there, accepting that I'd either be beaten more left to slowly bleed out. Either way, I wasn't going to be doing well soon. I tried getting up one last time when I suddenly felt a pop in my head. Everything went dark and silent.

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><p>WOOOAAAHHHHH! What will happen?! This is the part where it picks up! I'll update in the near future! Please remember to leave feedback! It's very important for me! Thank you so much!<p> 


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